Herbal Remedies Menopause

"Herbal remedies menopause"...does it work?

Menopause is that lovely time of life for women when their ovaries basically stop working and go into retirement. The problem is that there can be several years of peri-menopause (also called the climacteric) with fluctuating symptoms before menopause hits. Most women start having symptoms during their 40's and may start having hot flashes during their periods.

Once menopause begins, the hot flashes start in full swing and can be accompanied by night sweats (immediately followed by chills!), lack of concentration and memory, irritability, depression, fatigue and body aches.

Backache and a tendency to develop back sprain are common. The skin becomes drier as do vaginal tissues. During this time due to hormone fluctuations, sex drive may either increase or decrease.

But aside from being unpleasant and at times embarassing, estrogen decline has other important effects. Bones may no longer retain calcium and phosphorus, resulting in decreased bone mass (osteopenia and osteoporosis). Less estrogen is also associated with increased risk of heart disease where the HDL cholesterol (bad) rises and the LDL cholesterol (good) falls.

Natural Herbs For Menopause Relief

The most common conventional treatment for menopausal symptoms is estrogen replacement therapy. But what if YOU can't take hormones? Or perhaps you just don't want to. Many women are not comfortable with this option.

Natural herbs for menopause relief can be used to supplement estrogen therapy and in some women can be used alone. Phytoestrogens or plant estrogen elevate hormone levels and give relief. The following are foods rich in phytoestrogen:

Soy

Rye

Chickpeas

Clover

Flaxseeds

NOTE: Food, plant and herbal supplements may take several months to have their full effect. Usually I tell my patients to give it a full 3 months before deciding whether or not something is working. Of course if you are having side effects or problems, discontinue immediately and speak to your doctor. Check with them too, to make sure nothing interacts with medications you are already taking.

Looking for a Menopause Relief Tonic?

Ok...so what if you don't want to take a bunch of herbs separately? You can get a great tonic from Native Remedies. There are many marvelous reviews on their site, and what is especially great is that the remedies are organic.

Mellowpause is a natural remedy for menopause that can be taken every day to prevent flushes and sweats. If you have read other parts of this site, you know that I really love the idea of organics in herbal use. No problems with Native Remedies, and they have an excellent reputation.